"Seraphina!" Orion's heart hammered against his ribcage as his clothes melted away. His bones cracked and reformed, fur sprouting across his skin as he shifted into his wolf form.
He bolted through the forest, paws thundering against the earth. The scent of honey and vanilla grew stronger, guiding him like a beacon. Fear gripped him tighter with each step. What if she jumped? What if he was too late?
The trees opened to a small clearing, and relief washed over him. Seraphina stood there, alive and whole, not at the cliff's edge as he'd feared. Her back was to him, her blonde hair catching the fading sunlight.
She hadn't shifted. She hadn't jumped.
She was just... standing there.
Orion shifted back to his human form, grabbing the spare shorts he kept tied to his ankle during shifts. He pulled them on quickly.
"What are you doing out here?" he demanded, his voice harsher than intended. The remnants of fear made him sound angry.
